Improvement in shutters



W. CRUSE &'J. D. ISAAGS.

Shutter;

-No. 210,015. Patentd Nov. 19', I878.

i i i MPETERS PNOTD-UTHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D C.

\VILLIAM GRUSE AND JOHN D. ISAAOS,

OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

IM PROVEMENT IN SH UTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,015, dated November19, 1878; application filed September 12, 1878.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM GRUsE and JOHN D. ISAACS, of Oakland,county of Alameda and State of California, have invented an ImprovedBlind-Adjuster; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being hadto theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of theshutter. Fi g. 2 shows details of construction-the grooved head, theobliquclyslottcd sliding plate, and the tenon with eccentric-pin; andFig. 3 is an elevation, with the stiles and frame in vertical section.

Qur invention relates to an improved mechanism for operating the slatsof blinds, by wlnch the ordinary rod connecting the slats may bedispensed with.

Our lmprovements consist in providing at one end of the slats a ferrulecarrying a pin or lug, which lug engages with an oblique slot in a stripwhich slides in a rabbet on the back of the bead carrying the slats.This rabbet is formed in the side of the. bead opposite to that on whichthe slats are, so that it is entirely out of sight. A thin projectinghandle is fastened to the stripwhich has the slots in which the pinstravel, so that by sliding said handle up or down the strip turns theslats or any desired portion simultaneously, so that by givmg arectilinear motion to the strip a rotary one 1s imparted to the slats.

Let A represent the stiles or frames of an ordinary Venetian blind, towhich the bead or bead-strips B B are fastened by means of screws, ashereinafter described. The circular mortises (J for the tenons D on theblind-slats are cut in the vertical or horizontal beadstrips, and not inthe stiles, so that when the frame formed by the four beads is removedthe slats all come with it without having to separate the stiles.

On the back of the bead-strip 13,011 the side away from the slats andnext to the stiles, is formed a rabbet, extending the length of saidhead, and of sufficient depth for the metal strip E to set in a littlemore than flush with the edges of the rabbets, as shown. In this metalstrip E 1s cut a series of oblique slots, preferably curved, in whichthe pins or lugs 1: 1n the ferrule G in the tenons of the blinds In eachof these ferrules is a pin, F, which is secured to or forms part of saidforrule. This pin is placed just inside the pcriphery of the ferrule, soas to form no obstruction to its free revolution in the mortise, whileat the same time it projects through the mortise into the slots in thesliding metallic strip E.

The mortises on the head on one side of the frame are made 1. rger thanthose on the opposite side, so as to accommodate the size of theferrules which are on the tenons at that end of the slats. These largemortises are in. the bead-strip B, on the back of which the rabbet iscut for the metal strip. In these larger mortises, for fine work, ametallic bushing, H, may be placed, so that the ferrules will rotate ina metallic journal and revolve smoothly. This, however, is notnecessary, as the ferrules may revolve in the wood in the same mannerthat the ordinary blind-slat tenons do. as in the bead B.

A slot, his cut' through the quirk on the engage.

head, through which projects the knob-stem attached to the edge of themetal strip or moving plate E, and this slot is suffieiently extended sothat the knob may be moved up or down far enough to slide the plate thenecessary distance to open or close the slots, as hereinafter described.

Slots K are cut in the strip E, through which the screws, L, holding thebeads to the frame pass, while at the same time the strip may be movedup and down.

The operation of our device is as follows: The necessary number of slatsto fill the frame have the ferrules slipped over the tenons at one end,and the bead-strips having previously been mortised, the slats are putin place, all of the tenons having ferrules on them being in the beadwhich has the rabbet cut in its back part. The side beads are joinedtogether by the top and bottom pieces and the whole set into the frameformed by the stiles. Before setting in place, however, the slottedmetallic strip is set into the rabbet, when one pin in each ferrule 011the end of the slat will fit into one of each of the oblique curvedslots or grooves in the plate. Then, when the beads and slats are setinto the frame, the screws L are screwed through the beads into theframe,

passing through the elongated slots K in the metallic strip, andsecuring the bead-strip and slats in position. The metallic strip isthen inclosed in the rabbet in the back of the bead, and is preventedfrom getting out of place by the frame on one side and the bead on theother, while at the same time a sliding vertical motion is permitted.The slot in the quirk, through which the knob projects, is quite small,since a thin flat plate, J, connect-s said knob with the metallic strip,so that the Whole mechanism for operating the blind-slats is in thebead-strip.

Now, by moving the knob in one direction it slides the metallic plate inthat direction, and the curved slots in the metallic strip turn thewrist-pins in the ferrules on the ends of the slats, which turn all theslats simultaneously. By sliding the knob back the operation is reversedand the slats opened or closed at will.

By this construction a blind-stop is perfected which is at once simplein operation and not liable to get out of order. In devices of this kindit has usually been necessary to cut slots or grooves in the frameitself, or else receive the mechanism inside of a plate which is on theoutside of the beading so as to be in sight. With these devices theoperating mechanism has usually been cumbersome or liable to get out oforder, and in order to make repairs the stiles had to be separated so asto get at the mechanism. Moreover, a deep slot for the escutcheon-plateand knob had to be cut in l the frame, all of which entails expense.

In the construction herein described the rabbet on which the slidingoperating-strip is placed is cut in the head in a position whichconceals the strip and operating parts. In case it is necessary, thebeads and all may be removed without separating the stiles or injuringthe frames. The metal strips can be punched out of metal at little cost,and the plate and knob which move it are easily attached. The wholedevice is neat in appearance, as the gearing is all out of sight.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The blind-slats N, turning upon tenons or gudgeons which enter thebead-strips B B at the sides, on one side said gudgeons having ferrulesG, with the eccentric-pins F, in combination with the sliding plate Emoving in a rabbet in the back of the bead-strip, and havin g theoblique slots M to receive the pins F, substantially as hereindescribed.

2. The bead-strips B B, fitted to receive the blind-slats, which turnupon gudgeons, as

shown, one of said strips having a rabbet in its exterior face, so thatthe slat-operatin g plate will be below the face, and the Whole may beintroduced to or removed from the frame without cutting the latter,substantially as herein described.

3. The rotating blind-slats N, with their eccentric pins or crank-armsF, operated by the sliding plate E, with its oblique slots M, incombination with the fiat plate J, attached to the sliding plate andprojecting out through the quirk to obviate cutting the stile or frame,substantially as herein described.

4. The obliquely-slotted plate E, moving in the rabbeted groove, asshown, in combination with the rotating slats N, with their eccentricpins F entering said oblique slots, whereby a rotary motion of the slatsis produced by a rectilinear movement of the plate E, substantially asherein described.

5. The rabbeted bead-strip B, fitted to receive the direct] y-actin gobliquely-slotted slidingplateE upon one side, and theferrules of therotating blind-slat gudgeons upon the other, said bead-strip beingprovided with the lining or journal rings H, substantially as hereindescribed.

6. The directly-actingobliquely-slotted sliding plate E, operating toturn the I slats by means of eccentric-pins F, as shown, said platehaving the longitudinal slot K, through which a screw may pass to fastenit to the frame or stile without interfering with its action,substautially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM ORUSE. JOHN D. ISAACS. Witnesses:

FRANK A. BROOKS, WM. H. THOMPSON.

